Politics
‘No Man Would Have Done What Wike Has Done’
Former governorship aspirant and elderstatsman in Rivers State, Chief Sergeant Awuse has described the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, as a huge blessing to the state who God has used to give the people of Emohua Local Government Area what no man could give to the people of the area.
Awuse made the remark last Saturday during the official flag-off of the Ogbakiri internal roads projects.
Awuse who said he was part of the forces that moved for the creation of Emohua Local Government Area, noted that since the creation of the local government, no administration in the state had ever brought development in the area more than that of the present government led by Governor Nyesom Wike in terms of infrastructure.
“ From 1999 up till date, we can count how many times the governors, from Gov Peter Odili, Amaechi etc have visited the local government, but you ( Gov Wike) have come so many times”, he said.
He said that the people of the area have lost count of the number of times Governor Wike had visited Emohua for either flag off or inauguration of one project or the other, such that Emohua has enjoyed so much dividends of democracy.
Describing the internal roads project being officially flagged off in Ogbakiri as highpoint of the developmental initiatives of Gov Wike’s administration, in view of the importance of road infrastructure in the area, Awuse assured Gov Wike that the people of Emohua have no option than to follow him (Wike).
“ No man would have done what you have done for us. We will follow you, stand with you and give you whatever you need from us. You are a correct Ikwerre son from Rumuepirikom.
“ Those people that are in APC, please leave Emohua alone. We gave you chance, you didn’t do anything for us. We will follow Wike because because he is a very good man”, he said.
The elderstatsman noted that though the people of Emohua have been following Governor Wike, the people would redouble their support for him because he has irresistable passion for the development of the area.
Our correspondent reports that the 15km internal roads will connect the six communities that make up Ogbakiri: which are Rumuoro, Oduoha, Rumuakani, Rumuada, Ahai, and Okporowo and is expected to be completed in 12 months.
By: Chris Oluoh
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has insisted on the conclusion of the Continuous Voter Registration exercise yesterday (Sunday) despite calls by some opposition political parties and civil society organisations for an extension over concerns that millions of citizens could be excluded from the 2027 general elections.
In a notice issued on its X (formerly Twitter) handle on Saturday, the commission reminded the public that the exercise would end on Sunday, July 26, with designated registration centres open from 9am to 3pm.
“Your future won’t wait. Neither should you. The Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise ends Sunday, 26 July 2026,” the Commission stated.
INEC also reminded prospective voters that they could complete the registration process online through its dedicated CVR portal or visit designated INEC offices and registration centres nationwide for physical assistance.
The new Electoral Act stipulates that INEC is required to stop voter registration, updating and revision of the voters’ register 90 days before an election to allow for data clean-up, the printing of Permanent Voter Cards and other logistical preparations.
The law also requires the Commission to display the voters’ register for claims and objections within the stipulated period to enable eligible Nigerians to challenge omissions and errors and help ensure the credibility of the final register for the polls.
The INEC National Commissioner on Information and Voter Education, Mr Mohammed Haruna, told The Tide source that the Commission would not extend the deadline, stressing that the registration exercise had to close to allow the electoral body to begin cleaning the data already collected.
“By midnight on Sunday, voter registration ends. There won’t be any extension. There are so many things that we need to do at the back end. We have to draw a line; otherwise, we won’t be able to produce a clean copy of what has been posted,” he said.
Mr Haruna explained that the commission’s Information Technology team and the Voter Registration Department would begin processing the data immediately after the closure of the registration window.
He said INEC would deploy its Automated Biometric Identification System to detect and remove multiple registrations before the provisional voters’ register is displayed for public scrutiny.
“We have this automatic biometric system that will check whether somebody has registered more than once. They will publish the register for claims and objections. That is, if anybody thinks a name shouldn’t be on the register, or if he has some claims, for instance, that his name has been omitted or some of his details are incorrect,” he said.
According to him, the final number of newly registered voters would only be known after the biometric verification and the claims and objections process.
“So, it’s after all that has been done that we will have a final figure, which we will now add to the existing 93 million or so. That will then become the voters’ register. We are mandated to give every political party a copy ahead of the election,” Mr Haruna added.
Responding to concerns over the number of Nigerians who may be excluded from the 2027 electoral process by the closure, the national commissioner said INEC could only account for eligible citizens who presented themselves for registration.
He added that the commission had recorded registrations through its online platform, physical registration centres and INEC offices across the 774 local government areas.
According to a public announcement signed by Mr Ariyo Rufus, Head of Department, Voter Education, Publicity, Gender and Inclusivity on behalf of Mr Oluwatoyin Babalola, the INEC Osun State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), the said exercise is aimed at assessing its operational readiness and testing the efficiency of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) ahead of the governorship poll.
INEC stated that the exercise would simulate Election Day accreditation procedures but clarified that no voting would take place during the exercise.
The commission explained that “the mock accreditation would be conducted in selected polling units spread across the three senatorial districts of Osun State, covering Osun Central, Osun East and Osun West.
“In Osun Central Senatorial District, the selected local government areas are Osogbo, Olorunda, Ifelodun and Boripe, with designated polling units identified for the exercise.
“For Osun East Senatorial District, the exercise will take place in selected polling units across Ilesa West, Ilesa East, Oriade and Obokun local government areas.”
INEC also listed Egbedore, Ede North, Ede South and Ejigbo local government areas as the selected councils for the mock accreditation exercise in Osun West Senatorial District.
The commission urged all registered voters whose polling units were selected to participate in the exercise, stressing that only holders of valid Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) would be accredited.
“This exercise is designed to test the functionality and efficiency of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) under conditions similar to Election Day. There shall be no voting during the exercise,” the Commission stated.
INEC reaffirmed its appreciation to residents of Osun State for their continued cooperation and support throughout the electoral process.
INEC also assured political parties, the media, civil society organisations and other stakeholders of the Commission’s commitment to conducting a free, fair, credible, transparent and inclusive governorship election in Osun State.
Mr Dare made the remark while criticizing Alhaji Abubakar for hiring a United States of America lobbyist with $1.2 million, in preparation for the 2027 elections.
In a statement he personally signed, Mr Dare said the former vice president can’t take Nigeria down the path of self-destruction.
The statement read in part: “Worse still, for a man who presumes to offer leadership to Africa’s most populous nation, his recent resort to grievance offshoring, outsourcing political warfare to Washington and reportedly paying $1.2 million to an American lobbying firm to peddle petitions against a sitting Nigerian President, stands as an affront to Nigeria’s sovereignty and a vote of no confidence in its democratic institutions.
“It is also a stinging slight, an implicit condescension directed at generations of Nigerian journalists, policy analysts, academics, and public intellectuals who have spent decades analysing, critiquing, and carrying the burden of the nation’s democratic evolution.
“The Atiku Abubakar of today cuts a pitiable figure, a grotesque portrait of what a politician becomes when ambition overwhelms judgment and every political faculty becomes programmed for self-destruction.
“No, Atiku cannot take Nigeria down that path with him. He must travel it alone. But first, Nigerians deserve Atiku Abubakar’s report card. Charity, they say, begins at home, not in Washington.
“Nigerians deserve to know whether the Atiku Abubakar who has long presented himself as a democrat is, in reality, a politician of many colours. He has erected for himself a throne built simultaneously on sand and bayonets. It is time to explode the bayonets.”
-
Politics2 days agoBuhari Administration Originated Fake PFIPC, Budget Office Tells Reps
-
Rivers2 days agoNBA Set To Inaugurate New National Executive In PH
-
Politics2 days agoCHRISTIAN FORUM PASSES CONFIDENCE VOTE ON TINUBU, WIKE, OTHERS
-
Politics2 days agoTinubu Felicitates Umahi @63, Says Works Minister Outstanding
-
Business3 days ago$50m Steel Pipe Facility: NCDMB Lauds Brentex, Assures Industry Patronage
-
Editorial2 days agoImproving Surveillance in Rivers’ Boundary Communities
-
Politics2 days agoHow I Paved Way For Other Govs To Join APC — Eno
-
Politics2 days agoSpeak For Yourself, Otti Tells Uzodimma Over Tinubu’s Reelection Bid